The United States’ Evan Lysacek reacts after receiving his gold medal in the men’s
figure skating competition at the World Figure Skating Championships at Staples Center in Los Angeles, Thursday, March 26, 2009. Lysacek won the gold medal.

Alissa Czisny fell twice in her short program at the World Figure Skating Championships, and Rachel Flatt had an appropriate performance for an inexperienced 16-year-old competing in her first Worlds.

And all anyone can talk about is whether Michelle Kwan or Sasha Cohen might return to figure skating with hopes of making next year’s Olympic team.

And this constitutes a mess?

If you think so, you’re looking in the wrong place.

Hidden among the spills and tears of the Americans’ disappointing showing Saturday at Staples Center was Evan Lysacek’s world figure skating title two days earlier.

An American male won the World figure skating title for the first time in 13 years Thursday, but how many people can even pronounce his last name?

Lysacek’s flawless routine was buried on The Oxygen Channel on Friday. Czisny’s comeback performance in which she didn’t fall in the long skate Saturday and Flatt’s cool routine were captured live on NBC.

Flatt finished fifth and Czisny 11th, but it wasn’t good enough to earn three spots for the Olympic Games in Vancouver. American women will fight for just twospots.

After Czisny bombed the short program Friday, she walked out a back door of Staples Center.

“She can’t walk on the concourse,” said her coach, Julianne Berlin.

She would’ve been signing autographs all day.

After the 23-year-old Lysacek stood on the top of the medals podium winking and smiling and waving at Staples Center, he waltzed into the Yard House Restaurant across the street at L.A. Live. He received another round of applause from his figure skating friends and celebrated in the back.

It was perhaps the only place in America where people understood the magnitude of the victory, which makes him the favorite to win the Olympics.

Yet people will continue to fret the Americans have no Kwan or Dorothy Hamill or Kristi Yamaguchi.

There is Evan Lysacek.

Lysacek has a killer smile. He’s charming and funny and handsome.

He has a nice resume with national titles in 2007 and 2008 and a fourth-place finish in the 2006 Olympics.

Lyscaek’s Web site already is updated with photos of him showing off his gold medal and his latest distinction: “’09World Champion.”

Lysacek has a publicist and an agent, but he’ll need an army of folks or an ad in next year’s Super Bowl to get anyone to notice him before the Olympics.

He could be the next Scott Hamilton, who won Olympic gold in 1984.

Women’s figure skaters always have been the darlings of the Winter Olympics. Lysacek is personable and even though he could’ve gone in hibernation while preparing for Worlds, he promoted them, which are in the city where he trains. He said yes to every interview.

Lysacek and France’s Brian Joubert sat next to one another in a news conference after Lysacek’s victory. There could have been an uncomfortable moment when a journalist reminded Joubert that it has been a long time since the reigning World champion won the Olympics and figured that gave the skater a silver lining. Lysacek laughed.

Lysacek has a nice rivalry with Johnny Weir, but it’s not Tonya-Nancy.

He didn’t get attacked at the knees, but he competed with a stress fracture in his left foot and still won Worlds.

Imagine what’s possible if he’s healthy for the Olympics.

We are obsessed with women’s figure skating, and thus, Lysacek’s world title could quickly be forgotten.

“I hope not,” Flatt said. “He skated so well. He was amazing. It was great. It was an exciting atmosphere. It was tremendous.”

Men’s routines are exhilarating too, especially with the risky quadruple toe loop – a jump with four rotations. No female has successfully landed a quad in competition. Lysacek didn’t have one in either of his routines, but he was perfect with every other element. He might work in a quad for the Olympics.

Lysacek’s girlfriend, Tanith Belbin (who competes with Ben Agosto in ice dancing), might be more popular than Lysacek. But in that little corner in LosAngeles, Lysacek had a proper party. A few minutes after his arrival, cheers erupted when the restaurant played Queen’s “We are the Champions.”

You know how it goes, “No time for losers, cuz we are the champions – of the World.”

If you look hard enough, you can find an American worth hitching your Olympic star.

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